Psalm 18:10-19

A Psalm of Thanksgiving for Deliverance and Victory

V. 10. And He rode upon a cherub, an angelic minister who represented the entire creation as serving Yahweh, and did fly; yea, He did fly upon the wings of the wind, whose rushing might fitly represent His dignity.

V. 11. He made darkness His secret place, to veil and to hide Him; His pavilion round about Him, the tent of His dwelling, were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies, heavy with vapor, ready to shed the rain in streams.

V. 12. At the brightness that was before Him, out from the brightness which surrounded His throne, His thick clouds passed hailstones and coals of fire, for Jehovah discharged through the clouds that veiled His brightness the weapons of His wrath, hail and bolts of lightning.

V. 13. The Lord also thundered in the heavens, the roll of thunder following the strokes of lightning, and the Highest gave His voice, hailstones and coals of fire. V. 14. Yea, He sent out His arrows, the sharp points of His lightning, and scattered them, the enemies being obliged to flee in all directions; and He shot out lightnings and discomfited them, so that they were utterly at a loss, helpless in their confusion. So great was the force of the storm, moreover, that the very beds of the waters were laid bare.

V. 15. Then the channels of waters were seen, the water being forced away by the mighty wind, and the foundations of the world, the very depths of the earth, were discovered at Thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of Thy nostrils, the storm which denoted His anger.

V. 16. He sent from above, stretching out His hand, reaching down; He took me, He drew me out of many waters, so that David was not carried away in the great catastrophe which struck the earth.

V. 17. He delivered me from my strong enemy, Saul chiefly being meant, and from them which hated me, all those who sought to harm him; for they were too strong for me. V. 18. They prevented me, falling upon him suddenly, in the day of my calamity; but the Lord was my Stay, supporting him so that all their wickedness came to naught.

V. 19. He brought me forth also, from all his straits of trouble, into a large place, to full safety and relief; He delivered me because He delighted in me, His regard for David being His motive for acting as He did.